The winner is chosen by an independent panel of jurors that is selected by the trustees. The jurors, usually three in number, are recognized specialists in the area of music under consideration and are chosen to reflect Canada's geographic and cultural diversity. The jurors determine the winner (or winners) of the award without further input from the Trustees. The jury may withhold its recommendation if it considers no applicant is of sufficiently high artistic standard.

The Foundation’s prize in choral conducting in 2018 was determined by Choral Canada’s process for selecting the successful applicant for its Conducting Apprenticeship Program and, as such, represents a change from past practice. Please see: